Chain Me Free

In 2001 I was unemployed.  I left my last job and was depressed.  I got into the music business because I was such a fan of music and had no musical talent.  I was just really good at listening and liked to share music with people.  A&R was my way of doing just that as a job, but beyond a mixtape turning friends into bands already out, I could now “discover” artists that hadn’t broken through and I could work with to take it beyond a mixtape… take it to the world.

But after 10 years of living my dream job, it started to make hate music… so after my last job, I walked away when my contract was over.  I thought it was over.  At that time in Los Angeles, there was a need for teachers and there was an opportunity to take a test and by passing it, you would be granted an emergency teacher credential… I loved teaching, so dove into that… it had been over 10 years since I had been in school or thought of any of the things that would appear on a test for teaching.  I ended up enrolling in a class that was given on weekends at California State College.  It was a 6 week class and I’d drive over every Saturday to dive into my next career.  I would drive in silence.  I used to drive listening to music.  But at this point, nothing sounded good.  Silence was magic.  At the end of the course, I took the exam and passed.  I got my credential and signed up for substitute opportunities… I would call in ever morning at 7am

And see if there was a place for me.  Some weeks I’d work 5 days, some weeks maybe once.  The service I worked with only did private schools and I was available for Kindergarten through 12th grade.  The service also took a chunk of the pay out, so a full week paycheck was not a very livable wage. Especially coming from the music industry.  I was lucky that over the years I was doing well, I never lived beyond my means and put away money for situations just like this.  The saved money helped cover what the job was shorting me on financial responsibility. 

Substituting taught me a lot.  I learned about kids and milestones, I learned about how easy it is to lose a kids attention when teaching something they didn’t care about… I also learned that it’s so easy for teachers to have burn out.  But, I also learned that at the end of the day, you could have made a difference in someone’s life.  Parents would thank you for something you said or did that their child told them about.  A feeling I hardly ever felt from being in the music business.  If something did well, the person responsible was the last to get the credit.  A “thank you” wasn’t going to happen, so you learn never to expect it.  So when I’d get one, I had no idea what to do with it.

Being in private schools, I would see people I worked with dropping their kids off and would have to hide to avoid the “what are you doing here” an the look of “poor guy” that you know was going to come if face to face.   Kids of famous people, who are now big executives, actors, musicians.  Great kids when I had them in a class and I can only hope they still are.
It was a rewarding gig and I loved it.  Again, It wasn’t making ends meet, which really increased my admiration of teachers and all educators.  What was a bonus is that I would drive to my assignment and started listening to music again.  I was enjoying it like I used to. Would make a mix cd and just be back to what I loved.  This was a huge breakthrough as everything I had listened to up to that sounded like white noise.  I couldn’t tell if anything was good anymore.

The other thing that happened over that time was I wanted to go see shows again.  That had been something I did on the regular since I was 13 in NYC, but lost the desire. But much like not wanting to run into the parents of the kids at school drop off, I didn’t want to go to shows and run into friends that were still at it.  I didn’t want to have to answer “what are you doing”… which is the 1st question asked in LA.  Status is everything.

So I decided to go to where I would t run into people.  One of those places was leaving LA, getting on the 5 to the 91 and exiting on Lincoln Ave, making a right and a left on Lincoln and pull into the strip mall parking lot.  Chain Reaction.

I first heard of Chain Reaction from a young assistant for an agent, who was one of the biggest go getters I had met.  I have always been just as interested by the next agent, A&R person, manager, label in the making as I have about the next band.  I befriended her and couldn’t have been happier to go to shows with no job, no reason other than seeing music with people that were just working their hustle to get a move forward.  Today, Corrie Christopher is everything I knew she’d be and more.

Going to Chain Reaction was the same as teaching.  A room full of innocent, happy people in a community away from parents and living and creating an identity for themselves. That was the bands as much as the audience.

I was used to going to see bands that had a manager, a lawyer or some kind of buzz.  A full room of industry people looking around the room reading reactions to see how they should be reacting.  The more industry people in the room, the higher the deal… 2 songs on a demo tape and 45 minutes of forgettable songs.  Not Chain Reaction.  Chain Reaction was the physical version of MySpace.  Where people could meet in person and share common interests and experience things together beyond a computer.

Chain Reaction was a packed room from doors to the ending.  No alcohol, just a candy stand, walls lined with t-shirts of bands that played there, $10 tickets (or less) for a night of fun and community.  And a room full of kids singing every word of every song… bands whose names you never heard, but they sure as hell did and were committed to this new scene. Well, new to me.
This was 2001.  In September of that year, the world would change.  Innocence would be lost and a refuge for escapism would become the Emo Scene… there were no major label Industry people within 5 miles of it and it was beautiful.

When going to this venue, I got to meet some people who I still am friends with today.  First, Jon Halperin (who just texted me today and I love and we were born on the same day, same year).  Booking shows, working the box office and the best host you would ever meet. Genuine music lover and kind. Kevin Knight aka theScout.net, working the door, cleaning up after shows, another true music lover who was hungry to take the next step,  Chad Pearson co owner of indie label The Militia Group.  Fresh off a stint of working at Tooth and Nail Records and taking it all on to start from scratch.  All people I would get to know and remain close with some even today.

Jon was doing just fine.. putting on shows, hoping to be a stepping stone for so many of these amazing bands coming through. He made Chain Reaction the venue that would welcome and host bands that weren’t big enough for LA and guaranteed a place for kids to go.  A always loved the email address for Chain Reaction was www.allages.com … you couldn’t describe the club any better.  Bands loved playing there, it was a built in audience.  People came for the community and for the scene. You couldn’t buy what was happening there.  

Kevin started his website www.the scout.net and would make mix cds and try to get them to industry people.  I took notice of him and he was the portal to the scene of anyone who would pay attention, Hands down. Nobody was paying attention at the time, trust me.

Going to see bands and meeting Chad, I started listening to the recordings The Militia Group was putting out.  Noise Rachet, Rufio and The Beautiful Mistake, who I would end up managing and am still very close to.  Chad is not only a visionary, but he’s one of the kindest people out there (see a pattern at Chain?)… too nice for what the business can do to you.  I remember him being legitimately “honored” that I would take his call or talk to him about his label and the business.  I was less of a big wig and more of a Farmer Ted.  I would give advice, they were doing better than anyone could in that scene, since they lived it, but when it came outside of their bubble, they were deer in headlights.  I remember they didn’t have a lawyer and I hooked them up with my pal Doug Mark, who was the attorney for Epitaph.  If anyone would know how to work with an indie, it was Doug.  I also made an introduction and got the wheels in motion for The Militia Group to get a distribution deal with Sony.  I still was unemployed and loving it.  

It was at Chain Reaction where I fist saw a bad called Death on Wednesday.  A bad that was one part The Smiths and another part Social Distortion.  The bad was good, but I didn’t love them.  But there was one stand out…both as a musician and also as a person.  His name was Jorma Vik, and he was the drummer of Death on Wednesday.  We became friendly and I remember after a show at a skating rink (also in Orange Country) they played with another up and coming band called Sugarcult featuring an old friend named Marko Desantis.  Jorma asked if I would manage Death on Wednesday.  I wasn’t ready to do anything yet, but I told him not this band, but whatever he does next, I’ll do it… fast forward a year and I run into Jorma in front of the Troubadour with a guy who he introduced me to as Joby, the guitarist for his new band and handed me a CD with a paper sleeve and a stamped logo that looked like an ad for roach killer that just said The Bronx Sure Death.  I think I called him by the time I got home listening to it on my drive home saying “I’ll do it”… that’s another story.

My going back to shows again for fun, eventually lead to many things for me.  One was discovering bands, bringing them to A&R friends with no reason other than feeling these artists could be something with the right people.  I had no ties to any of them other than being a fan and a connection to the industry (for better or worse)… from the artists getting signed, many times, it would lead back to me.   Also, while teaching, I would ask kids if they had ever heard of any of these bands (90% would not have, but I promise would become their favorite bands the next year). 

From that I got calls from executives asking for meetings.  From thinking I was done, I found the passion again and got a second shot.  I was offered full time teaching jobs, but I wasn’t ready to give up my passion yet (for better or worse) and took a job and stayed working for many years.  I also was working (on the DL) with an up and coming management company bringing the talent I thought was great, but not ready for prime time and could “ghost manage” them and help develop.  See, back then, managing a band while having a job was conflict of interest and was forbidden. Today it’s just the norm.  Triple dipping is rewarded.  But at that time, I was able to put “emo” in the mainstream music business.  The bands I brought in were by no means "big" but very well known in the scene.  This company was the only "reputable" management company that represented any bands from the scene and it those bands helped become the endorsement when meeting with bands later that would create the dynasty the company is today.  I wasn’t the first by any means, but I know what we did…

My last trip to Chain was last year when (another band I managed) Further Seems Forever played a show.  It was the same parking lot, the same (some updated) t-shirts, a bar now vs candy bar, but the same vibe, just new faces in the moment of community and music. Seeing Jason Gleason 20 years later in the same space was beautiful and took me back to the feeling I had back all those years ago.  Music is about taking you back to a time, a feeling that will never happen again, so is a venue like Chain Reaction.

Anyway, 2002 Chain Reaction was the Orange County 1977 version of CBGB’s.  I could write for days about the people I met there, saw there, what it did for bands, what it did for fans… but reading its closing on December 18th is the end of an era… I hope there is another place out there making a safe space for music and kids to grow and discover, to build their independent foundation of the person they will become through the influence, memories, friends and impact a venue can have. 

The list of bands that came through Chain Reaction is so big and so impressive, i'm not even going to try to list them.  I can only say I saw a handful compared to the kids that spent their youth being part of the community.  Chain Reaction is the venue many can say 'I saw....there before they blew up"

I think about those days very fondly and am thankful of Corrie, Jon, Kevin, Chad, Jason, Jorma and so many others for bringing me life again at a time that the business had slowly been poisoning me… Chain Reaction.  You are a legend.  Salute.

Holler If You Hear Me

It’s been a while since I have “blogged”. I don’t know why. I actually really enjoy writing and (I guess) getting thoughts out of my head. It can be dangerous to keep thoughts in your head. Plus, thoughts can park themselves in prime real estate of your brain. So, I was getting in the habit of getting those thoughts out to clear up said real estate for new ones. It’s been a while, so the real estate is losing value. Time to clean up the neighborhood.

The main thing that has been squatting in my brain has been a hard subject to talk about. Mostly, because it’s easy to sound (my least favorite term) “bitter”. But, what How I see it, it’s never been a “bitter” feeling, just a confused, disappointed and depressing question and subject.

That question is “what happened?”. What happened to me in the last 10 years? Where did the career I had worked so hard for go and how did it go away so quickly. This subject was one that over the years through reading social media posts and speaking with friends, former colleagues and just general observance I saw that this isn’t a subject and question that I alone ponder.

I also saw that it wasn’t a “music business” issue. It’s an everything one. I know that business evolves, everything does, but when I was younger, it didn’t happen this fast. Maybe it’s the new world standard. Everything is just happening prematurely. When I started in the music business, I could look at my mentors and they were the age I am now, with many years left in their long careers. Somewhere along the line, that life expectancy was cut in half. Something i wish I knew would happen before i started. I would have looked into another profession.

But it’s not just me. It’s many people. People in the world where the 401k automatically was getting fed with every paycheck stopped getting fed a decade ago. The world where insurance has become a game of hoping nothing too bad happens while putting it on hold until you have enough money to sign up again for a plan that covers more than one check up a year. A world where you are actually better off dead than alive for your kids, because the one smart thing you did was invest and make sure to pay your life insurance policy.

So back to the question of “what happened?”....

Well, everything did. For me, it was the music business began to shrink. As a creative person, you are only as good as your last hit and I always ran a marathon. I worked with artists for the long haul. But as the business started changing, the marathon winner was a dreamer. It became a sprint game. A very crowded sprint game.

So, luckily I adjusted. Before the Napster years, I was (rather painfully) removed from a job that I had done well in. Why, doesn’t matter. But, at that time, I moved coasts and wanted to dip my feet into a new pool and learn something new that I had zero understanding on. The idea was to expand my knowledge to make me a better rounded person and not one dimensional. I learned under one of the best and was grateful for that 2 year crash course. After that tenure, I was spent and needed a break. Took a sabbatical (also known as not being able to find a job) and just got back to remembering why I got into it in the first place. I listened to music and went to shows again not because I “had to”, but because I wanted to. Because of that forced head clearing and time away from the grind of it, I was able to actually enjoy it again and found myself stumbling upon many new bands, writers, scenes, etc. It was magical.

From that, I voluntarily began helping these artist meet people in the business that I still knew. I had been fortunate to where I can at least still get a call answered and a song listened to based on my reputation and relationships. Don’t know about that these days though. More in that later. Anyway, bands got signed (and did quite well), managers got new clients (and did really well) and from that, I actually got a 2nd life at a label and publishing company. I thought i was out... and they pulled me back in. This was not a curse at all, but a blessing.

I had another amazing run at my new company for 5 years. See when I took a job anywhere, i was retiring there if it was up to me. Didn’t take a job to get a job. You hired me, you got me for life. Loyal as fuck.

Also during that time(Well before you could have 10 jobs at once), being at a label meant you couldn’t do outside jobs or work outside of your contract as it was seen as a conflict of interest. Understandably so. Today, you can work as a VP for a parent label, have a label, own a publishing company and manage producers and songwriters where you sign an artist to your label that is paid for by the parent label, but the artists needs to work with your songwriters that you publish and are produced by the producers and engineers you manage. Sounds fair. But I digress...

Anyway, even though i worked for the label and publishing company, I had many developing interests in artists and ideas that weren’t ready for prime time. So, through a friends developing company, I made an arrangement that would allow me to bring in said not ready for prime time players and ghost manage them. What that meant was for every act i would bring in, I would be the silent manager and one of the people at the management company, would co-manage and be the “face”. Which was great for me. I could be involved, if there was any money to be made, i could invest it back into the management company (because i had a salary and wasn’t looking to double dip), but by investing back, I was setting up my next career should my job ever go away, while helping manage the careers of these up and comers. I never take credit, but that has been a huge mistake for me, because by being humble and letting the light shine onto others, I have gotten erased from history. If it wasn’t for other people being around at that time and seeing it first hand, and me saving all the emails and instant messages, I would actually be a ghost and/or a liar.

See, this is where you may be rolling your eyes and calling me bitter. I know... it sounds like me bitching and crying. So, why does this matter?

Well, because this was around the time when “what happened?” starts.

It starts here because this is when label mergers went into full gear. I would say around 2005. The company I was at was NY based and I was in the West Coast office (staff of 27). As the mergers started within a 2 year period, the staff went from 27, to 22, to 17 to 13 (when i was made redundant) to 9 to 7 to a logo.

When my tenure ended, I would have thought that I had a place to go, since I had invested and been a pretty important part of a roster that changed them from being a rap metal management roster (with some up and coming writers who weren’t quite there yet, but got there and boy did they... FYI... absolutely ZERO to do with me). I only claim the bands and direction as something I had to do with. But, in the last year before my redundancy, there was an “issue” that happened at the company. And from my stand point, where there might have been good cause or reason, I didn’t agree with the manner it was handled. Of course, with my stupid punk rock ethics, had to state my thoughts. Anyone that knows me (and these people were family to me) I need to speak my mind for when something doesn’t feel right ethically. In this case the handling of the situation and the financial resolution were both handled very poor and quite honestly, hurtful to witness. The company was built on being the “good guys” and the exit and restitution was not what a “good guy” would do and I said it. Only thing was, you don’t say those types of things to the most liked person in the world. But, like i said, this person was like family to me and I’m open and honest with family, just to hope they see things from another side that’s not coming from anything other than honesty. Bad move.

Long story short, there was no home for me to go to. Persona non grata. It actually took almost 5 years to start repairing that one. I think it’s pretty good now. Very sad it will never be what it was. It’s hard to find friends out here that you feel are true. But, that’s life. The company flourished and continues. I’ve heard my “involvements” pop up here and there, but they are very watered down, so I’ve almost been written out completely, but I still have a gravestone somewhere that gets some sun every once in a while.

I have never seen much of a hand raised to look out for me. Is that because my former partner knows about my pride? Who knows, but it does contribute to “what happened?”.

On the other side, the friend I stood up for, he has reinvented himself and done great on his own. But again, I professionally haven’t seen anything float my way. He's one of the most righteous and genuinely nice people I know. His friendship all these years is reward enough for me.

Now it sounds like I’m bitter again. I know. But it’s not bitter. I think in this world where survival has become harder. We all know it’s who you know. So, in this case, I know some heavy motherfuckers. So “what happened?” that knowing the biggest people out there, I’m out here wondering how to get a new client or how to reach someone i used to know on behalf of my current clients, because I “seem” to know a lot of people and “seem” to have a pretty great reputation.

I do pride myself on being someone who can make it on his own. Over time, I realized that is more of my way with dealing with people not being as open about assisting me. I have zero problem helping people. It’s actually rewarding for me to see someone succeed from any contribution I made. I’m not saying I’m better than others, but much like my realization of how to deal with feelings alone out here, my helping others rewards me and gives me hopes that somehow through karma, it’ll come back to me. Spoiler alert... it doesn’t. But if it makes you (me) feel better, that should be reward enough.

I have always said, if karma points were air miles, I could fly around the world 1st class at least 3 times. But, they aren’t. Coach it is.

So being the “make it on your own” person I have become. Since the “what happened” period started, I have looked of ways to reinvent myself. Learn something new. Be well rounded. Be a person that can do everything really well. Not kinda ok. I mean like do any task. I learned a lot by trial and error. Never scared to try something and if I wasn't able to do it, i would teach myself. That has kept me going for a long time. So in these years of figuring it out day by day, every once in a while an opportunity would come up that I would look at (now this is where many of you reading this can really relate). These opportunities (another way of saying “jobs”) would come via word or mouth, recommendation or job posting (the worst). I’m not one who looks at a job and says “eh, I can kinda do that...”, I have to look at it and say “fuck this... I can do ALL of that”. So whether it’s word or moth, recommendation or job posting, I’m gonna give it a shot. I would say I get a call 2/10 times. Job posting is all key words and apparently, if your resume has all the job qualifications they list (word for word) none of those are the actual key words to get you looked at, so you get the automated “thanks but you don’t meet the qualifications we are looking for”, even though your resume has ALL of the qualifications they listed. When it comes to word of mouth or recommendation, by the time you get in contact, 9/10 times they already have someone (in house hire), so they might schedule you an interview out of courtesy or just have an assistant “reschedule” you until they just stop rescheduling.

I have two potential “opportunities” that stood out to me. They were both jobs i was very qualified for. One I didn’t even know was a potential “opportunity” until it was brought to my attention. This one was something that would have been called a “dream job”. I went to see an old friend with an idea. Some say I’m a dreamer. I had this idea for a way to exploit a catalog in a really creative way that would both make fans happy and be a way for a new audience to discover this band. Though this idea, there could be a new “soundtrack” vs repackaging the same shit over and over. A win for the label, a win for the publishers, a win for merchandise and a huge win for the legacy. Let’s call the band... I don’t know... ok... the Ramones. If anyone knows me, I kinda like the band. So I called an old friend who was so sweet and willing to meet with me. He did not need to at all. He’s very busy and I just appreciated the courtesy. Real stand up move. Went in, told my idea, somehow the conversation steered to him wanting to expand and had been thinking about adding someone. He knew my background and while it had some of the skills, there was a lot to learn. So, I was beyond excited and have zero issues learning from the bottom up. I’m a fast learner and put me in a new environment and I’m there to soak up as much as I can. I am a great utility player. Don’t ever want to be captain, just want to be on the team and hope to help the team win. Fast forward, he has me meet with his current team as i would be working under them and learning the ropes. Again, no ego here. Just excited about the opportunity.

Meet for lunch with the two guys and I start off by saying how much I love The Ramones and how they are one of my favorite bands, to where the reply was “yeah... they are everyone’s favorite band”. I knew at that moment this was going to be a long/short lunch. The whole time there, i was just trying to break the wall and just let them get to know me. It wasn’t gonna happen. With every description of how shitty the tasks would be, i would reply with great enthusiasm. It was legitimate. After about 40 minutes, the main guy asks for the check and stands up and says “ok thanks. We’ll get back to you after the holiday”. Thanksgiving was coming up. So, he starts to walk away towards the parking lot. Exactly where i was going. That exit was not too smooth. We then get down the stairs and he abruptly says goodbye again... only to start walking in the same direction as me. It appeared we were parked next to each other. One last goodbye and finally he is rid of me. I sent a follow up email to them thanking them for their time, and email their boss saying how much I enjoyed them.

A week after Thanksgiving, I have not heard from them. So, I email with a joke saying “well, we never specified after which holiday i would hear from you, so I hope to hear from you by MLK day”. I guess that didn’t go over well. I never got a reply. The Ramones have released some great repackages of albums I have bought 3 times already.

The other job, falls into the category of word of mouth/recommendation. It was a job at a company that I have actually been praising in their business model for the 21st century. I was told of this position by a friend who actually interviewed for it, but couldn’t relocate, so suggested me (one of my best friends to this day with as many stories, if not more, than me). I went into this meeting at very high recommendation by very high level people, so at least i would be considered as a potential candidate. This job I actually fit every single qualification.

The day of the meeting, i went in, was actually there for over an hour, and answered and knew every single thing they asked and had answers to every question asked. Thai was my world. No on the job training needed. All was going well when the hiring manager (in the middle of me speaking) just stands up and says “ok. Thanks for your time. I have to go”. He walked out the door while shaking my hand and I just stood there like a person staring at the gate as the plane pulls away. I left, emailed both of the people I met with. Thanked them for their time and appreciated them taking so much time out of their day. Never heard from either again.

I found out a week later from my friend who suggested me that he had gotten an email from the main person saying they had hired someone already. The date of that email was the same day I went in to interview. I wish I could have that hour of my life back.

I have spent a lot of time just shrugging my shoulders and saying “oh well”, but oh well has become “what happened?”.... what did I do to put myself in this situation? I would get it if I was an asshole to people, kicked puppies or screwed people over, but I wasn’t, I don’t and I haven’t.

I’m not bitter, just confused. Wondering what will be next, how can I fix it, can I fix it, where will I be next year?

I’m thankful for my kids. They have nothing but hope in their eyes and their futures. That’s what makes me keep on keeping on. I love what I do. I'm fortunate that I am able to still work doing what I have done for 25 years, I still have no ego about who I am or what I do. I can meet with big wigs, i can throw out the garbage. Who gives a shit. I teach young, talented students at a university and I still work with artists that can sell out venues and sell directly to fans through social media only, i have gotten to develop young artists purely DIY and have been able to get them going, slowly growing a career. The marathon mentality. So, no complaints professionally. I just wish it was more stable.

I'm sure a lot of you can relate to this. So what happened? I still don't know, but you aren't alone. Stay positive.

Holler if you hear me.

Up In Smoke*

*I couldn't think of a better title that describes cannabis and the state of artist discovery and development in 2016

I had a blast the other night appearing on the Elevate the Conversation podcast/show with @IAmDoctor420.

I'm a huge advocate for the use of cannabis as a medicinal alternative. I always have been. I think the amount of prescribed and over the counter medications that exist that are part of the pharmaceutical is such a huge business and so dangerous in long terms and in addiction, that to ignore the benefits of naturally grown cannabis to deal with the ailments a lot of the patients go to use cannabis is absolutely criminal. Cannabis is considered a class 1 drug by the DEA. That puts it in the category with Heroin, crystal Method and other drugs that are chemically created and have a dangerous effect in long term use. This alone is absurd.

Of course, the social and recreational use is a huge part of medicinal cannabis, but let's look at what we are talking about. It's not heroin. Seriously.

I have always heard the term "gateway" drug when referring to cannabis and that in itself is ridiculous. That's like saying beer is a gateway to alcoholism. These are both social and recreational substances that when enjoyed are normal. When abused, sure they can be dangerous. The only difference is you don't get in fights when medicated. You go to sleep. You don't hear about medicated driving as much as you hear about drunk driving. Shit, more people drive high on Xanax daily (pharmaceutical approved) and that's dangerous as fuck. Combine that with alcohol and you have people blacking out. You don't black out in cannabis.

The "gateway" factor comes from something deeper in someone's subconscious and issues that elevate the opportunity of addiction. But, you can't blame that path in cannabis. If you do, blame Zoloft, Paxil, klonopin, Xanax, oxycontin and every other prescribed medication. Abuse is going to happen as long as people are prescribed them and don't deal with other issues that drive them to addiction.

I grew up with a mother who had rheumatoid arthritis. I think she was on (at least) 6 different meds a day to treat various things. She didn't want to live on those. Who does? In the mid 80's I remember she was prescribed medicinal cannabis to help with certain parts of her daily pains and ailments. I don't think she stuck with it as long as someone would, but in 1985, medicinal cannabis was not understood or agreed on socially and medically. So, in the long run, she stuck with prescribed meds and drank socially. Socially of course leads to drinking daily. She wasn't an alcoholic, but defiantly drank to close out the night. Again, I don't blame her. I can't imagine what it was like to be in her body, looking at the world through limited opportunities, mostly physically. Not being about to walk, do things independently, like cook dinner for us. But she was my queen in teaching me how to do it through her. I'm grateful. I can't imagine how life would have been if the stigma of cannabis use was not so frowned upon. I think she would have had an easier time than resorting to drinking. Plus, for a frail woman, her appetite would have increased rather than not being able to eat well because of all the pills that I'm sure mixed would make you nauseous and unable to actually eat.

I've known many addicts and alcoholics in my life. I must say, it's a rare thing when you get to know one who doesn't have a story of some sort of traumatic experience that has been buried or silenced for decades that comes out eventually and they turn to substance abuse, but never has it been from smoking a joint.

I'm a casual user. If I was Cheech and Chong, I'd be Cheech. The guy that looks the part, acts the part, but when it comes down to it, is a huge lightweight. When I'm with friends, they can blaze up and I just look in amazement on what they can take down and function. I know my limits. My best friend is my Chong. She could match Snoop Dogg dab for dab. But what's amazing to me is, she's 100% aware, functional and responsible. Sure a pothead, but not the stereotypical, living in her parent garage not working and not doing anything. I admire the dedication and love she has for her job, being reliable and aware. That's today's real cannabis users. Of course the basement living stereotypes exist, but it's not all of them.

There people that I always have had a problem with that criticized and looked down upon cannabis use. I think I'm pretty safe to say that 80% of them were wine drinkers. Very judgmental while having no problem posting photos of them at a winery enjoying a Merlot or at a "classy" gathering of cheese and wine.

Well, let's compare the two.

Both come and are cultivated by the earth. Makers of wine are artists. They blend, they are scientific about it, where they grow it, weather conditions. The same can be said about cannabis growers. What they do with earth, blending and cultivating grows these plants into beautiful works of nature.

The time to harvest, the time it takes to actually get it ready, pick at the right time and prepare. Both growers are very organic and try not to grow with pesticides and harmful products to compromise their grows.

In wine, you have a Sommeliers who is an expert in wine to help you find exactly what you are looking in taste and mood as well for pairing with food. In cannabis, dispensaries have experts who go the same. What are you looking for in flavor, mood, feel and ailment.

When you open a bottle of wine, you smell, taste and have a process to judge the quality. With cannabis, the dispensary will have jars of flower that you can smell, look at under a magnifying glass to see the bud up close and see the beauty, colors and texture of the strain.

Even to the point of the enjoyment, the crafting of glass. In wine, beautiful glass is made to drink from, decanters all for presentation and use. Same is done with cannabis. Glass is blown for pipes, dab rigs and bongs. They are works of art that are useful.

So, in the end the similarities are there, but the stigma of cannibus makes these wine appreciating people superior culturally over cannibus users.

My thing about this is that is I feel like these people that frown upon cannabis users while drinking their wine is they maybe should put themselves in the place of these people that use it for medicinal purposes to aid them with an illness that include nausea, loss of appetite, migraines, fatigue, anxiety and so many other ailments people go to cannabis for... Ironically, the same side effects you have from drinking too much... Wine.

You go to a dispensary in Los Angeles and it never fails who you run into. People of all races, religions, age and socioeconomic backgrounds. It's a legitimate alternative for people. They don't judge each other while in there, the people who run these places look happy to be able to offer this service that makes people feel better. Dr. 420 was a very successful spinal surgeon prior to becoming a doctor who can give recommendation letters to grant these patients the opportunities of cannabis. He will be the first to say that it's the most gratifying thing he's ever done, because these people who come to him have been in hell for years and this is their final chance. His service is great, because in our world, the continuing stigma attached to cannabis is still frowned upon and the way he does it is not by going to Venice Beach and walking into some weird house that makes you feel like you are doing something wrong. It's over his site, he gets online with you talks to you about your issues and supports your decision. If I wasn't a patient already and wasn't sure of the decision, after talking to him, I'd be sold from feeling good about it.



The show was informative, funny and I got to talk about the music business. A few people I know watched it and thought the insight I had with regard to today's music industry and musical artistry was good. I'm far from an expert. I'm a dummy who used to be in it and has a passion for music, trends (music, technology, etc) and just wants to figure it out.

If any of this sounds of interest to you and you are tired of the olympics, the 24 hour news cycle, Donald Trump and all the other bullshit we get stuck with, watch this Interview and the others he's posted from his show. There are video versions on youtube and podcast versions.



Itunes Podcast version

He's a funny motherfucker.